More Interesting Epitaphs

In a blog post last month, I explored the many things the epitaphs of Pine Grove Cemetery can teach us about the lives, careers, families and--of course--deaths of those buried there. But there is more to be read into these epitaphs than what they tell us about the deceased--they also tell us about the culture in which they were produced.

One trend visible in these epitaphs indicates the process of the sentimentalization of death which I discussed in an earlier blog post about mourning scenes. The wife of James H. Alexander--who died on February 10, 1866 at the age of 29--had inscribed on her husband's gravestone:

"In memory of my husband
Earth has but one dear spot for me
And that is my husband's arms."

This romantic idea of death can be seen in the epitaph of another man who died in 1866, Algernon Hinkson. Hinkson was actually the widower of Julia Dennison (1826-1848), but he remarried after Julia's death and is buried next to his second wife, Sarah. When Hinkson died on July 15 at the age of 40, his family ordered a stone which reads:

"We have tearfully folded his cold white hands
Lovingly over his breast;
We have kissed the pale lips forevermore dead
And laid him down gently to rest."

In addition to these sentimental epitaphs, there are many traditional religious verses and quotations found on Pine Grove gravestones. For example, Francis Owen's grave (she died on May 21, 1865 at the age of 46) bears the simple epitaph "The Lord is my Shepherd." An interesting parallel can be seen in the use of religious themes in both the home and the graveyard. In his book Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture, Kenneth L. Ames notes that embroidered mottoes/needlepoint and epitaphs had much in common: "These texts echo some of the same sentiments, the same rhythms--and sometimes even the same words--thus linking house and cemetery, life and death, earthly home and heavenly home." (134) An excellent example of this can be found with the grave of Lida Williams Stone Holmes (1842-1897), whose gravestone reads "Simply to thy cross I cling." The same phrase can be found on a needlepoint at the Woolwich Historical Society.

Embroidered motto reading "Simply to thy [cross] I cling." From the Woolwich Historical Society, Woolwich, Maine.

The comparison of human lives as plants is another theme one can see in the epitaphs at Pine Grove, particularly among the young. Addison F. Swett died on January 19, 1847 at the age of 6 years, 6 months. On his tombstone is the epitaph "A lovely flower transplanted to richer sod and warmer climate." This idea of death as God "replanting" a soul from Earth into heaven is not isolated to the epitaph of one Pine Grove youth. Robert S. Skolfield (died October 5, 1872) lived only to be 6 months, 17 days old. His epitaph reads: "A bud snatched from earth, to blossom in heaven." But this idea of "replanting" is no more poetically put than in the epitaph of Sarah Hinkley, who died at the age of 3 years, 8 months, 21 days:

"The dearest rose begins to bloom,
and sheds its fragrance round.
The gardener gently takes it home
To thrive in richer ground."

Sources:
Ames, Kenneth L. Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of Victorian Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992.
Cheetham, Donald & Mark. Pine Grove Cemetery, Bath Road, Brunswick, Maine, volumes 1 & 2 (Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 2006.7.1 & 2006.7.2), 2005.

Special thanks to the Woolwich Historical Society!

Benjamin G. Dennison, the Shop Keep

Benjamin Griffin Dennison was born to Colonel Andrew Dennison and Lydia Lufkin in Freeport on August 23, 1814. He was the second-oldest son in the family of 10 children, and the fourth born. Unlike his father, younger brother E.W., and younger sisters Julia and Matilda, B.G. (as he was known) decided not to become involved in the family box business. Rather, B.G. tried many different careers.

Photo of Benjamin Griffin Dennison, prominent Brunswick citizen.
From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# OH 1726.32.f.

The first reference to what B.G. did for a living comes from Wheeler & Wheeler. They write that B.G. operated a bookbindery "from about 1833 until 1855, when he sold out to H.J.L. Stanwood" (579). During that time, on October 8, 1838, B.G. married Susan Towns. The couple had two children, Susan Jane (born 1841) and Benjamin Lithgow (born 1843). B.G.'s son would later follow in his father's footsteps and pursue many of the same career paths.

We next find B.G. in 1859 as an officer in the Brunswick Gas-Light Company, a local utility which existed before electricity and provided light for homes and streets. Many of the old buildings in town, such as the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum and the Skolfield-Whittier House, still bear the evidence of these gas lights, including gas fixtures rewired for electricity. On April 8, 1861, B.G. took on yet another job, this time as postmaster. Appointed to the position by President Lincoln, B.G. delivered local mail for about 6 years. According to his obituary, B.G.'s political views prevented him from working during the Andrew Johnson administration, and "he was removed from his office."

B.G.'s stationary store in the Dunlap Block on Maine Street in Brunswick, pictured in the background on the right side (the name of the store is barely visible on the awning) as a minstrel show passes by. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# OH 1542.5.h.

Finally, in 1868, B.G. settled into a more permanent career. He opened a stationary store on the first floor of the Dunlap Block on the corner of Maine and Dunlap Streets in Brunswick. Not incidentally, the second floor of the building served as a factory of the Dennison Manufacturing Company, run by B.G.'s siblings Matilda and E.W. B.G.'s store was a five-and-dime and bookstore, but primarily specialized in fine paper goods like wrapping paper and later sold many photos of the area. The store even operated a circulating library, as it preceded the local public library. In 1887, B.G. passed control of the store over to his son, B.L., and appears to have retired.

Advertisement for B.G. Dennison's store printed on the back of a stereograph sold there. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1982.95.6.

Like his father and sister Matilda, B.G. was a devoted member of the Mason Street Universalist Church. He was also a member of the Mozart Society, a Brunswick/Topsham group dedicated to "the cultivation of musical tastes and..social intercourse" (Wheeler & Wheeler, 246) and the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Before the rise of the Republican party, B.G. was a staunch supporter of anti-slavery. In 1852, he campaigned for Free Soil party candidates John Parker Hale and George Washington Julian in the presidential election (the Free Soil party was a precursor to the Republican party--both held strong anti-slavery views). Fun fact! John Parker Hale's daughter, Lucy Lambert Hale, was engaged to John Wilkes Booth. When Booth was killed in a shoot-out after Lincoln's assassination, a photo of Lucy was found on his body.

B.G. Dennison died on April 19, 1897 at the age of 83. Though his obituary does not mention his cause of death, it does laud the man as "a gentleman of affable and social disposition, a kind husband, an indulgent father, and having lived a correct life, is mourned by many."

B.G. Dennison's grave, located under the tree in the second row from the right.

Sources:
Leading Business Men of Lewiston, Augusta, and Vicinity. Boston: Mercantile Publishing Company, 1889.
Obituary of Benjamin G. Dennison. Brunswick Telegraph. 23 April 1897.
Rogers, Grace M. The Dennison Family of North Yarmouth and Freeport, Maine. Exeter, NH: 1906.
Wheeler, George Augustus & Henry Warren. History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, Including the Ancient Territory Known as Pejepscot. Boston: Alfred Mudge & Son, 1878.

Matilda & Julia Dennison Built a Family Business Out of Paper Boxes

Julia Dennison was born on January 31, 1826, the 8th child of Colonel Andrew Dennison and his wife Lydia Lufkin. Two years later on November 22, 1828, their next child—Matilda—was born. Both Julia and Matilda were probably born in the family home on Everett Street in Brunswick.

Photograph of Matilda Dennison Swift, a key figure in the Dennison Manufacturing Company. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1977.35.5.

Not much is known about the youth of these two women. Julia attended school until she was at least 14—a report card of hers, now in the collection of the Pejepscot Historical Society, attests to this. It was around this time that both Julia and Matilda became involved in what would later be the family business. Their brother, Aaron, a Boston watchmaker, enlisted his sisters and father to make paper boxes for him to sell his watches in. Their father would cut the paper, and Julia and Matilda and assemble the boxes, folding and pasting them together. Julia is sometimes given credit as making the first Dennison box, marking the beginning of what would eventually become the largest box company in the United States.

Almost immediately, the business became a complete success, and Colonel Andrew was able to hire someone to help the family produce their boxes. In 1847, Algernon Hinkson was hired and began working at the box “factory” in a room on the second floor of the Dennison home. Apparently a romance began between Algernon and Julia, and the couple were married that year. The couple had one child, Ann Julia, born on September 12, 1847. Sadly, Julia died in March 28, 1848 of unspecified causes. Matilda adopted the then 5 month old Ann and raised her.

The gravestone of Julia Dennison, who is buried near her father, Andrew. Julia was just 22 when she died.

Following Julia’s death, Matilda was the only Dennison woman who worked in the family business. On July 27, 1855 she married George H. Swift, an artist. In 1863, she was put in charge of a new Brunswick Dennison factory, and chose the Day Block as its location. There, she oversaw the production of J.J. Brown brooch boxes. Algernon Hinkson, Julia’s widower, managed the cutting room.

The Day Block, a building located on the north corner of Maine and Mason Streets in Brunswick. Just across Mason Street (and out of frame) stood the Mason Street Universalist Church, which Matilda was involved in. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1993.22.71.834.

Matilda was renown for her craftsmanship and the quality of her work later set the high standards of the Dennison Manufacturing Company. Her husband George, who had long been sickly, died in 1893. Matilda continued to live as a prominent member of the community and philanthropist. After the Mason Street Church on Maine Street burned in 1884, Matilda had the melted remains of the church’s bell—which her father had helped the church obtain—recast into a new bell. That bell now hangs at the Unitarian-Universalist Church on the corner of Pleasant and Middle Streets. Her generous spirit was not limited to people, though. Matilda had a soft spot in her heart for animals, and even raised a lame robin once, teaching it to whistle. She died on April 22, 1902 at the age of 73, after rightfully earning the nickname “Matilda Greatheart.”

Top: The Swift - Chandler Monument. Matilda Dennison Swift is buried here, at the front of the 8th row from the right, with her husband.

Bottom: Matilda's footstone.

Sources:
Dennison Beginnings: 1840-1878. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 2003.12.
Dennison Manufacturing Company. Fifty Years, 1844-1894. New York: Charles F. Bloom, 1894. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 2009.172.
“In Memoriam.” The Brunswick Telegraph. 14 May 1902.
Leighton, Brian. “The Dennison Manufacturing Company: Its Beginning and Progress.” University of Maine, 1976. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1978.59.
Rogers, Grace M. The Dennison Family of North Yarmouth and Freeport, Maine. Exeter, NH: 1906.

Colonel Andrew Dennison & the Paper Boxes

Colonel Andrew Dennison was, quite literally, the father of the Dennison Manufacturing Company. He was born in Freeport on February 22, 1786. In 1807 he married Lydia Lufkin (1788-1848), who was also from Freeport. Andrew was a cobbler, and after the birth of their first 4 children, Lydia and Andrew moved to Topsham in either 1816 or 1817 so that Andrew could practice his trade. In 1824, they relocated across the river to Brunswick. The couple would go on to have an astonishing 10 children together (there are some sources which say they actually had 15 children, but I found no evidence to support this).

The only known image of Colonel Andrew Dennison. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc#1993.22.71.179.

Not surprisingly, Andrew often had a difficult time earning enough money to support his large family. He served as a sergeant of a regiment stationed at Fort Preble during the War of 1812. Yet he did not earn his title until he became a colonel of the Maine state militia. Andrew also served as the Deputy Sheriff of Cumberland County and tried at his hand at farming and local politics, with little success. In the early 1840s Andrew considered moving out of Brunswick to try his luck elsewhere, but ultimately decided to stay put.

Then, Andrew’s oldest son (and his third child) Aaron, a Boston watchmaker, enlisted his Brunswick family to make boxes for him in the fall of 1844. Aaron was so unimpressed with the quality of the jewelry boxes he had been receiving from overseas, he decided to have his family make them for him. The story goes that Aaron would travel to New York, purchase the box-making supplies, sent them to Brunswick where Andrew and his daughters Julia and Matilda would assemble them, and then the finished product would be shipped back to Aaron, who in turn would use and sell them to other jewelers.

The Dennison home on Everett Street in Brunswick, where the first boxes were produced. The home served as the main "factory" from 1844 to 1851. From the Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1993.22.70.788.

The boxes became popular almost immediately. The family began producing them in a room in the second floor of their house, with Andrew cutting the plasterboard by hand at his cobbler’s bench and Julia and Matilda folding and pasting them together. Eventually, Andrew got fed up with the slow process of cutting the boxes by hand and designed a machine to do it for him. The result was the first box cutting machine ever made, which was utilized by the company for many years thereafter.

At first, the Dennison box company was shared by Andrew, Aaron and Andrew’s 3rd oldest son (his sixth born child), Eliphalet, who was more commonly known as E.W. By 1850, Aaron had decided to focus on his watch-making and decided to sell his portion of the business to his brother E.W. With this development, E.W. and his father began to butt heads over issues such as box quality and price, and Aaron was often forced to serve as a mediator between the two. At one point, Andrew even threatened to take the business away from E.W.

In 1850, E.W. wanted to move production of the boxes from Brunswick to Roxbury, Massachusetts, but Andrew balked at this proposition. E.W. eventually conceded. By this time, the company had moved their factory from the Dennison homestead to the second floor of the Poland Block building on Maine Street, where the company employed about 30 people. By 1855, Andrew had had enough bickering with E.W., and decided to sell his portion of the company to E.W. on February 1 for $8,000, with an additional $1,000. The Dennison Manufacturing Company would eventually become the largest box company in the United States and would branch out to make many other products. In 1990, the company merged with Avery to become Avery Dennison, a leading producer of office supplies.

The gravestone of Colonel Andrew Dennison, located 5 lots from the back in the first row on the right.

Freshly retired and no longer worried about money, Andrew lived out the rest of his life in leisure. After Lydia died in 1848 he remarried and traveled often. His obituary describes him as an early supporter of the causes of temperance and anti-slavery. One of Andrew's greatest passions, however, was time keeping—perhaps where his son Aaron got his passion for watches. He actively campaigned for accurate time keeping in Brunswick, and helped procure the town clock and bell at the Mason Street Church. In addition, he frequently visited the college sundial to ensure that his own watch was correct. In his last years, Andrew apparently was still quite active in mind and body. After a brief unidentified illness, he died on July 3, 1869 at the age of 83, as, according to John Furbish, one of the town’s oldest citizens.

Sources:
Andrew Dennison’s obituary. Brunswick Telegraph. 9 July 1869.
Dennison Beginnings: 1840-1878. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 2003.12.
Dennison Manufacturing Company. Fifty Years, 1844-1894. New York: Charles F. Bloom, 1894. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 2009.172.
Furbish, John. Facts About Brunswick, Maine. Curtis Memorial Library website.
Leighton, Brian. “The Dennison Manufacturing Company: Its Beginning and Progress.” University of Maine, 1976. Pejepscot Historical Society, acc# 1978.59.
Rogers, Grace M. The Dennison Family of North Yarmouth and Freeport, Maine. Exeter, NH: 1906.
Wheeler, George Augustus & Henry Warren. History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, Including the Ancient Territory Known as Pejepscot. Boston: Alfred Mudge & Son, 1878.